Fb CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg testifies all the way through a US Space Committee on Power and Trade listening to about Fb in April.

Saul Loeb / AFP/Getty Pictures

The top of the USA Senate Trade Committee needs Fb to respond to questions on a New York Instances record that alleges the social networking large equipped dozens of software makers with get right of entry to to huge quantities of consumer information.

“The Trade Committee shall be sending Fb a letter in quest of additional info” about problems together with transparency and privateness dangers, Republican Senator John Thune mentioned Monday in a remark to Reuters.

The New York Times reported Sunday that Fb had get right of entry to agreements with a minimum of 60 other software makers, together with corporations similar to Apple, Microsoft, Samsung and BlackBerry. The knowledge of customers’ pals was once additionally incessantly made to be had with out specific consent, in line with the record, elevating compliance problems with a 2011 consent decree from the Federal Business Fee.

Fb has been below scrutiny because the revelation in March that consultancy Cambridge Analytica had misused Fb consumer information within the lead as much as the 2016 US presidential election. Since then, Fb CEO Mark Zuckerberg has testified in front of Congress and the European Parliament to respond to questions on Fb’s dealing with of consumer information.

“New revelations that Fb equipped get right of entry to to customers’ non-public knowledge, together with faith, political personal tastes, and dating standing, to dozens of cellular software producers with out customers’ specific consent are deeply relating to,” two Democrats at the Senate Trade Committee, Edward Markey and Richard Blumenthal, mentioned in a letter observed by way of Reuters.

Rep. David Cicilline, a Democrat from Rhode Island, mentioned in a tweet overdue Sunday it “positive looks as if Zuckerberg lied to Congress about whether or not customers have ‘whole keep watch over’ over who sees our information on Fb. This must be investigated and the folks accountable want to be held responsible.”

A Fb spokesman mentioned: “We look ahead to addressing any questions the Trade Committee can have.”

Thune’s workplace did not straight away reply to a request for remark.

Cambridge Analytica: The entirety you wish to have to learn about Fb’s information mining scandal.